Riesling RSS "This is not a love song" Steingutamphore 2018
The Riesling Riede Steiner Schreck »This is not a love song« 2018 by HM Lang comes from 80-year-old vines in one of the steepest vineyard sites in the Kremstal — a breathtakingly light-footed, salty Riesling with tremendous depth.
Bottler: HM Lang,Steinspreng 6, A-3500 Stein/Donau / Austria
In the glass
Colour
Pale, clear straw yellow with a fine sheen.
Nose
Floral citrus notes of lemon and grapefruit, accompanied by peach, pear, verbena and anise, along with subtle yeasty hints — becoming increasingly spicy with air.
Palate
Ethereal and floating at just 11% ABV, cool and vibrant, powerfully saline with a silky texture and profound minerality derived from the old vines.
Character
A distinctive Riesling with a jazz-like nonchalance — unhurried, bright and energetic, bearing a clear signature and playful charm rather than massive weight.
Pairing
Vegetable tempura, Bouchot mussels in a peppery broth, or poached chicken with lime yoghurt served over udon noodles with coconut curry.
Notes
Over two years of maturation on the full lees in 550-litre stoneware amphorae, spontaneously fermented and unfiltered with minimal sulphur addition — the 100-tonne wooden press used by former Airbus engineer Markus Lang and the Demeter-certified vineyard in Steiner Schreck unite engineering precision with biodynamic philosophy.
Tasting note
Colour & appearance
Pale, luminous straw yellow with a silvery rim – a wine that appears cool and clear in the glass, like the waters of the nearby Danube.
Nose
Crystal-clear and finely delineated: lemon and grapefruit meet crisp peach and pear. With air, the bouquet becomes increasingly spicy – verbena, a hint of aniseed, alongside the saline yeast note from extended ageing on full lees. Despite all its substance, the aromatics remain ethereal, airy and unadulterated.
Palate
A unique expression from the Steiner Schreck. At just 11% alcohol, it is slender and ethereal, yet the 80-year-old vines impart a depth that seems almost impossible given such lightness. Herbal spice, vibrant acidity, complemented by a silky, saline texture from over two years on lees. The wine remains cool and bright throughout – intense, energetic, yet as relaxed as a seasoned jazz musician after midnight.
Finish
Long, saline and remarkably cool. The minerality of the gneiss carries well beyond the final moment – a resonance that vibrates rather than fades.
Terroir & origin
The vineyard site Steiner Schreck lies at around 320 metres above sea level and ranks among the steepest sites in the Kremstal. Gföhl Gneiss and granite define the soil in which the up to 80-year-old Riesling vines are rooted – farmed according to Demeter certification by Markus and Heideline Lang on their 2.5-hectare estate in Stein an der Donau.
Grape variety & vinification
Riesling, harvested on 26 August at pH 2.8 – earlier than ever before at this estate. Two days of slow pressing using a self-built 100-tonne wooden press, entirely reductive, followed by deliberate oxidation of the juice. Spontaneous fermentation in a 550-litre stoneware amphora at a constant 9 °C in a bomb-proof tunnel deep within the gneiss. Over two years on full lees, minimally sulphured, bottled unfiltrated in February 2021.
Food pairings
The saline structure and citrus freshness make this wine an ideal partner for vegetable tempura, whose fried lightness mirrors the tension of the Riesling. Equally convincing with Bouchot mussels in pepper broth – the heat of the pepper meets cool minerality. For those preferring something richer, try poached chicken with lime yoghurt on udon noodles with coconut curry.
Special notes
The name derives from the post-punk classic by Public Image Ltd. – yet this Riesling recalls more of a Nouvelle Vague interpretation: French, playful, with Burgundian grace. A wine that proves the Kremstal can also be different: light rather than heavy, cool rather than opulent, distinctive rather than conformist.
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